Volume 6, Issue 2 SPRING 2010

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Remembering Dickie Walters Dear Environmental Colleague Lamar Smith, Kevin Moody (FHWA Resource Center); Claiborne Barnwell, (MS DOT)

Greetings readers and welcome to the spring edition of the Environmental Quarterly. I would like to take this space to recognize a couple of individuals and wish them well in their new adventures.

FHWA is losing two of its finest environmental folks. Carol Adkins (HQs) and Steve Thomas (Arizona Division) are saying so long to FHWA this year. In fact, by the time this is published I believe Carol will already be relaxing leisurely by the pool. Steve takes his leave in June and I’m sure has lots of interesting plans that don’t involve us. I imagine he is already letting his We are extremely saddened to have to tell you about the untimely hair and beard grow in preparation for his new passing of Dickie Walters of the Mississippi Division Office, who life. I have known and worked with Steve and Carol for many years and can tell you that both passed away unexpectedly on March 22, 2010. He passed away while of them are dedicated professionals and jogging, a sport he truly loved. Dickie was extremely well liked by fantastic people. For more than 30 years, everyone who knew him. Upon learning of Dickie’s death, Pam Carol calmly and thoughtfully considered the Stephenson, ADA in the DC Division, referred to him as a true southern best interests of the agency and the gentleman. For those of us from the south, we know this to be a great environment in everything she did. Steve and I honor. Dickie was known for the joy and fun he created wherever he spent many hours discussing how things would went. Colleagues and friends will very much miss his remarkable be better if they would just listen to us. We will personality. He loved to share the great things in life, his keen sense of miss you Steve and Carol but are happy for humor, and his devotion to his wife Janie, an internationally known you. Good luck Carol. Good luck Steve. Keep motivational speaker and author. in touch, please.

Sincerely, Dickie was a global traveler. He particularly enjoyed Colorado for Lamar Smith skiing and Europe for the fine food and drink. He was well known for Environment Technical Service Team Manager his discerning enjoyment of Italian greyhounds, fine food, and great & Editor–in-Chief cigars. Locally, he was known as an aficionado of the Dinner Bell diner Phone: (720) 963-3210 in McComb, MS. The Dinner Bell is one of those places where 10 to E-mail: [email protected] 12 people, often strangers, gather around a large round lazy-Susan

style table, and eat family style. He could not get enough of their fried catfish, fried green tomatoes, and other traditional southern dishes. Continued on page 2. FHWA Resource Center Environment Technical Service Team Continued from page 1.

INSIDE Dickie’s professional life was shaped around public  Answers to NEPA Quiz Questions (and NEW involvement and doing right by the public. He questions to answer)…p. 3 believed very strongly that the public should be  Best Practices in Addressing NPDES and Other informed about, and engaged in public agency Water Quality Issues…p. 4 proposals and decisions. He was an aggressive  Summit Focuses on Air Quality…p. 5 proponent of public involvement in all projects. th After working many years as a civilian  40 Anniversary: NEPA Recollections…p 6 environmental program staffer at Keesler Air Force  2010 US DOT Tribal Consultation Plan…p. 8 base in Biloxi, MS, Dickie came to the FHWA. He  How Swiss Bikers Saved the …9 worked with us for nearly 10 years as a valuable  Environmental Calendar…p. 11 team member who demonstrated a great deal of commitment to the Agency and its mission. As an Environmental Protection Specialist in the Mississippi Division, he skillfully dealt with environmental issues and provided expertise in advancing environmental stewardship and streamlining project delivery. His guidance was instrumental in getting the concept of context sensitive solutions mainstreamed into the project development process. He was also adept at cultivating professional relationships with state and other Federal agencies involved in the environmental decision-making process. In particular, he developed a strong alliance with the American

Indian Tribes.

Dickie was simply one of the best. His colleagues and counterparts knew that they could count on his expertise and selfless dedication. They thought of him not only as an expert in his field, but also as a friend. He will be sorely missed. On behalf of the

Mississippi Division Office, the Resource Center Next NTAQS to Be Held This Summer in Environment Technical Services Team, and the entire FHWA Environmental Discipline, we wish to Cambridge, MA express our deepest sympathy and best wishes to his family, friends, colleagues, and to the public who The Northern Transportation Air Quality Summit 2010 has lost a great ally. (NTAQS 2010) will be held August 24-26 at the Cambridge Marriott in Cambridge Massachusetts. NTAQS, like the Southern Transportation Air Quality Summit (STAQS), is held every two years to discuss current and coming regulatory environment, technologies Interested in receiving the Cultural and current practices vital to the field of air quality and Resources Bulletin, a publication of transportation. Topics such as conformity, the CMAQ the Maryland DOT? Program, modeling and analysis associated with conformity and project analysis, revision of air quality Contact Nichole E. Sorensen-Mutchie, standards, climate change, and other issues relating to air M.S, RPA at 410-545-8793 or quality, the environment and planning are covered. [email protected]. NTAQS 2010 may also provide an opportunity for training, depending on the time available. For additional The Winter 2010 edition is available now. information, contact Kevin Black at 410-962-2177 or [email protected].

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predecessor of NEPA), Senator Gaylord Nelson of NEPA Quiz Answers Wisconsin (principal founder of Earth Day), Senator Lamar Smith, FHWA Resource Center Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson of Washington (perhaps the notable figure of all), Senator Edmund Muskie of In the last issue of the EQ I proposed three trivia Maine, and Congressman John Dingell of Michigan.

questions regarding the National Environmental As their association with environmental issues and NEPA varies, each deserves credit in some way with Policy Act of 1969. The questions were more fun than informative. Thanks to those that took the time the establishment of our existing national environmental policy. The “Father of NEPA”, not only to answer or guess at the questions but also to send your responses to me. I enjoyed however is generally considered to be Lynton Caldwell. In 1968 Mr. Caldwell as a consultant for reading and talking to some of you about them. I hope others at least considered the questions and Senator Jackson drafted a White Paper entitled, A did a little research. The history of NEPA and how it National Policy on the Environment, which was the came to be is quite interesting and spans more than starting point of what would be discussed, debated, five decades. negotiated and eventually become the National Environmental Policy Act. Lynton Caldwell believed As a reminder, the questions I posed were: 1) Why that more was needed than a mere policy statement did President Richard Nixon sign the Act on January and that an “action-forcing mechanism” would help 1, 1970 instead of earlier as he had planned, and secure Federal agency compliance with the NEPA where did he sign it? 2) Who has been given the Section 101 goals. The action forcing mechanism honor of the title, the “Father of NEPA”? 3) Who would become the detailed statement that was appointed the first Chairman of the Council on eventually became the environmental impact Environmental Quality? As promised, the answers to statement that we are all so familiar with. So, while the questions, at least according to me, follow. often thought of as the Father of NEPA, others have honored him as the “architect of the environmental It’s interesting how different individuals and impact statement.” Not that it really matters but

organizations have recorded Nixon’s reaction to and there is evidence that his idea was never realized. support of the environmental movement and NEPA.

Some sources report his endorsement as reluctant The last question was the easiest of the three. The and political. Others suggest or claim that he had a first Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality was Russell Train. I did not have the pleasure of sincere concern for the environment and celebrate his action as that of the “Environmental President.” meeting him personally, but Fred Skaer (a mentor Regardless of what is written or what we of mine, among other things) did at a function individually believe, the fact remains that for what several years ago and acquired for me an ever reason or motive, President Nixon signed NEPA autographed copy of his book, Politics, Pollution, into law on January 1, 1970 and launched the and Pandas: An Environmental Memoir. The inscription reads, “For Lamar, Best wishes to a NEPA “environmental decade”. As he remarked at the careerist!” It is a prized possession. signing, "It is particularly fitting that my first official act in this new decade is to approve the National Environmental Policy Act". NEPA was the first law Much history has been written on NEPA and the passed in 1970, signed at 10 am on New Years Day events surrounding its creation. If you are in his office at the Western White House in San interested, all you have to do is visit the World Wide

Clemente, CA. It may well have been a carefully Web and with a few artful strokes of the keyboard, you too can be a NEPA scholar. I would like to point calculated political decision but as they say, the rest is history. out one article in particular on the history of NEPA written by the Federal Highway Administration’s The birth of the environmental movement and the own Richard Weingroff. The Article, Addressing the eventual passage of NEPA have been well Quiet Crisis: Origins of the National Environmental documented. If you have read much of the history Policy Act of 1969, provides a look at NEPA and includes an Agency perspective on NEPA you will have noticed that several individuals implementation in the early days. It is worth the emerge as hero, villain, politician, or combination of the three. A few of the more notable figures include read and can be found at the following web Senator James Murray of Montana (in 1959 he address, along with many more interesting Articles on the history of highways and transportation. introduced the Resources and Conservation Act, a 3 Continued on page 4.

Continued from page 3.

. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/nepa/nep was there any women given credit for NEPA in any a.pdf. way? 3) What Federal agency has considerably more NEPA responsibility than any other? And a At this time it is only fitting that I offer my personal Bonus question: In what way do you think NEPA thanks to President Nixon, Senator Jackson, Lynton has evolved (and is evolving) beyond the original

Caldwell, and all those involved in establishing the intent? National Environmental Policy Act and providing me with a very rewarding career. I have become…convinced that the 1970’s absolutely must be the years when America pays Before I sign off, I thought I would give you some its debt to the past by reclaiming the purity of additional trivia questions to ponder? 1) What other its air, its waters, and our living environment. It

U. S. President deserves at least an honorable is literally now or never. mention in the evolution of the NEPA process and —President Nixon’s Signing Statement for the why? 2) With all the men involved and recognized, National Environmental Policy Act, 1 January 1970

For more history and information regarding the evaluation of the environmental movement in general and the National Environmental Policy Act as it relates to the Federal Aid Highway program, consider reading “Addressing the Quiet Crisis: Origins of NEPA” at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/highwayhistory/nepa/index.cfm.

Best Practices in Addressing NPDES and Other Water Quality Issues in Highway System Management Brian Smith, FHWA Resource Center

An NCHRP Domestic Scan was completed in the summer of 2009. The Domestic Scan program is

conducted cooperatively between FHWA, AASHTO to facilitate the transfer of technology between State DOTs.

The scan completed in June 2009 investigated issues surrounding implementation DOT stormwater programs

and covered four topic areas of special interest. The four topic areas were TMDLs, BMPs, DOT

Practices/Procedures and working relationships with regulatory agencies. The final report for this scan effort,

Domestic Scan 08-03 Best Practices in Addressing NPDES and Other Water Quality Issues in Highway

System Management, is being published on the TRB project web page:

http://144.171.11.40/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp ?ProjectID=1570

This report discusses a wide array of innovative practices, and formulates improvement strategies for DOT stormwater programs and future stormwater quality research. Recently, the scan findings were featured at the National DOT Stormwater Practitioner’s Conference in April 2010, in a March 2010 CTE webcast, and the

January 2010 TRB Conference. 4

Spring is in the Air: Summit Focuses on Air Quality Leslie Sweet Myrick, Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT)

As spring creeps into the air, states including Illinois, have new information, tools, and support from Federal, state and local air quality officials as they work together to comply with Federal air quality standards, reduce the impacts of hazardous air pollutants, and address climate change.

The recently published proceedings from the Midwest Transportation Air Quality Summit include discussions from 64 representatives of Federal, state, regional, and local transportation or air agencies in the

Midwest about the current and upcoming challenges affecting both transportation and air quality planning in the Midwest. The states represented at the summit included Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

The information shared and documented at the summit will have positive implications for air quality in the Midwest as the officials charged with implementing and enforcing the standards shared best practices and experiences. Because many air quality issues are affected by the transportation sector, it is important for air and transportation officials to work together cooperatively.

Michael Koerber of the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium, in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation, organized the summit which included a total of 42 presentations made by 32 speakers. The format allowed for audience participation with question-and-answer periods in each session and two short open round-table discussions. Koerber explains, “Our hope was to provide a foundation for Midwest air and transportation agencies to begin to develop appropriate and effective approaches for achieving cleaner air in the region.”

The Conference sessions included state implementation planning activities for new air quality standards, mobile source emission inventories (and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new MOVES emissions model), highway project-level analyses, current diesel engine programs, climate change, mobile source air toxics, and on-going mobile source-related research studies.

According to Walt Zyznieuski, Air Quality Specialist for the Illinois Department of Transportation, “The Midwest Transportation Air Quality Summit was very successful in that it brought together Federal, state, and metropolitan planning organizations to discuss various air quality issues and emerging topics. In addition, round-table discussions were useful in identifying and laying out solutions for participants.”

The summit convened at Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, Illinois, in fall 2009, and the proceedings were recently published. The Summit was sponsored by the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT), a innovative research partnership between the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the University of Illinois. For more information about the ICT and to view the conference proceedings, which are included on the ICT Publications Page, visit http:ict.illinois.edu.

For more information on the conference, visit the LADCO website at: http://transportationsummit.ladco.org. Contacts: Principal Investigator Michael Koerber (LADCO) [email protected] or Leslie Myrick (ICT), [email protected] or 217-893-0705 x225.

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NEPA’s 40th Anniversary

NEPA Recollections: The Passage, Implementation and Meaning of NEPA

Editor’s note: A questionnaire was sent to a variety of FHWA and DOT leaders, current and former, who had experience with NEPA. The questionnaire asked a variety of questions about their experiences and impressions of NEPA. This is the first in a series of articles in which we share their answers to some of these questions.

What do you remember about the events or circumstances leading to the passage of NEPA?

“I started my career with FHWA (then called the Bureau of Public Roads) several years before NEPA was enacted. At the time construction of the Interstate System was well underway and engineering factors, costs, and safety were the primary considerations. In the interest of reducing costs the Interstate System was often located in areas, which by today’s standards would be considered sensitive areas, such as in swamps (now referred to as wetlands), in low income neighborhoods, etc.. While the Interstate System, and other highway and transportation projects, provide huge benefits to the American public in terms of mobility, safety, and the economy, they also had unintended environmental and social impacts. This, together with impacts from other Federal programs, led to considerable concern and pressure by elected officials; some Federal, State, and local agencies; special interest groups; and the general public for greater consideration of social, economic, and environmental issues during the development of Federal programs and projects. This culminated in passage of the National Environmental Policy Act which requires, among other things, that major Federal actions which significantly affect the quality of the human environment consider the environmental affects of their actions.” - James M. Shrouds has 35 years of involvement with NEPA. He is an independent consultant working on transportation and environmental issues. At the time of his retirement from FHWA, he was the Director of the Office of Natural and Human Environment.)

“My first day with FHWA was 7/01/69. I was in my first Federal-aid assignment in Delaware Division when NEPA became law (Jay Miller, Division Administrator). No memories about the Congressional deliberations, but considered the Nixon signing oxymoronic (Environmentalist President?).” - Jim. St. John has 37 years of involvement with NEPA. He is a part-time advisor for HNTB. He is retired from FHWA.

“Not much, I was in high school.” - Fred Skaer, Director of the Office of Project Development and Environmental Review, has been involved with NEPA for over 30 years.

What do you remember about the early implementation of NEPA (including events such as the first Earth Day)?

“The early implementation of NEPA was very challenging because of the lack of experience in developing environmental documents and a lack of expertise in many of the environmental areas. Compared to today’s sophisticated modeling and analyses techniques, advances in mitigation strategies, and comprehensive environmental documents, the documents in the early 1970s were often brief, rudimentary, and subject to may lawsuits. However, considerable progress was made by FHWA and the State DOTs in the 1970s as a result of CEQ guidelines in 1971 which assisted agencies in the development of their own procedures, CEQ regulations in 1978, agency regulations, etc. All of these regulations and guidelines, as well as on-the-job experience gained in coordinating with resource agencies and preparing environmental documents, helped to rapidly advance the state- of-the-practice in dealing with NEPA and other environmental requirements. Early lawsuits and court decisions also helped clarify certain provisions and requirements and many of them were incorporated into agency guidelines and regulations.” - James Shrouds Continued on page 7. 6

Continued from page 6.

“On the first Earth Day, I was a forestry student at the McKeesport Campus of Penn State and was inspired to switch to a new major at Penn State—Environmental Resource Management (ERM). The major was structured around the interdisciplinary concept. As an ERM student, I founded the Organization of the Ecologically Concerned which became the ERM Club. Also, I took course in Environmental Law which covered NEPA and the other landmark Federal environmental legislation. I was in the first graduating class of ERM with 10 other students in 1973.

“The early implementation of NEPA focused on fulfilling the documentation requirements more than making good decisions. In many cases, NEPA implementation meant justifying project development decisions that were already made. Transportations had an extensive backlog of projects on the shelf where the location and design were determined prior to or in the absence of NEPA studies and public involvement. This meant that there were superficial alternative analyses performed which were biased toward a predetermined alternative. There was extensive use of university professors as consultants used to fulfill the interdisciplinary requirements of NEPA. Many early DOT environmental managers were engineers and biologists, rather than environmental resource managers. Federal and state regulatory and resource agency staff were engaged late in the NEPA process, usually at the DEIS circulation stage. In many cases, the regulatory agency staff did not get engaged until a permit application was filed. NEPA was not used as an umbrella to satisfy all of the environmental requirements. The environmental requirements were satisfied sequentially and unilaterally. EIS’s read like encyclopedias rather than stories of the decision process.” - Wayne W. Kober has 36 years of involvement with NEPA. He is the President of Wayne W. Kober, Transportation and Environmental Management Consulting and a former Director of the PENNDOT Bureau of Environmental Quality.

“While a trainee in New York Division, I was involved with a triage exercise to decide which projects required

NEPA work, and which were “grandfathered” forward (business as usual). I think having project design approval, but not final plan approval, triggered more work to be done. A series of PPM’s and other directives flowed to the field offices in rapid succession. In hind sight, FHWA response to these early guidance/requirements launched us on an escalating bureaucratic and legal spiral costing time and money from which we have never recovered. More rhetoric required here to explain, but the essence is FHWA used the project detail on hand to define and address very detailed and specific impacts. We taught the environmental agencies, watch-dogs and the courts that FHWA could supply finite details to address NEPA and companion laws, regulations and policies. Setting the bar with minutia we had available on these “almost ready to build” projects set expectations for future “start from scratch” projects way too high, and insured huge time and money efforts leading to huge documents (aka, administrative records). Certainly our colleague Ed Kussy needs to input here! By 1975 FHWA was fully engaged building its agency NEPA response capabilities, and while I was an Area Engineer in New Jersey, I chose the NEPA specialty to be the keystone for my career. Through this time, I considered each Earth Day itself to be a politically required waste of time for FHWA employees. Let me tell you about “The Retreads” – Shrouds, Berube, Smith, Walls, and St. John (there was one other I am not recalling). Imagine – take FHWA civil engineers and add an environmental conscience center in their brains! This led to my Masters Degree in Interdisciplinarity.” - Jim St. John

“I remember FHWA working with the States to institutionalize NEPA through the development of Action Plans. This took several years to do, but seemed to be a reasonable approach for integrating the new concepts into what was essentially a civil engineering work flow.” - Fred Skaer

What does NEPA mean to you?

“NEPA means that the Federal decision making process is transparent and offers the opportunity for agencies, Continued on page 8. 7

Continued from page 7. organizations, and the public to review and comment on purpose and need, alternatives, impacts, and mitigation associated with Federal actions. NEPA means that citizens can legally challenge Federal decisions before implementation of regulations, programs, management actions, and projects. NEPA means that environmental documents must be understandable to laymen. NEPA means that it may be appropriate to choose the do nothing alternative.” - Wayne Kober

“The “Policy”, is a beautifully articulated vision for the Nation, and an inspiration on its own merit…Forty years forward brought us Environmental Enhancement, Context Sensitivity, Environmental Stewardship, Eco-Logical, Green Infrastructure, Sustainability and Livability. Each initiative, a step towards ‘…enjoyable harmony between man and his environment…’, the vision embodied in NEPA. On a world scale, NEPA has been a powerful influence and a model for other countries to build on. As a former US representative on the Environmental Committee of the World Road Association (PIARC), I saw firsthand how the vision of NEPA has been adapted to other nation’s policies and project development practices. The shared interest among international colleagues in seeking ways to pursue the NEPA vision in transportation programs was exhilarating and an honor to a part of. Perhaps the World Road Association can be invited to share in the 50th Anniversary celebration of NEPA.” - Andras Fekete has 38 years of NEPA experience and currently works with The RBA Group.

“It is the right way to do government business. Now, if we could only do it right.” - Jim St. John

“To me, NEPA is a primarily national commitment. The commitment is to think broadly and prudently before moving ahead with actions that may have serious unintended consequences.” - Fred Skaer

2010 USDOT Tribal Consultation Plan

On November 5, 2009, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Tribal Consultation (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/memorandum-tribal-consultation-signed-president). This Memorandum affirms the Administrations commitment to regular and meaningful consultation and directs each agency to prepare a plan to implement Executive Order 13175 ( http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/eos/eo13175.html) and prepare interim and annual progress reports. On Tuesday, March 2, Secretary LaHood announced the finalization of the USDOT Tribal Consultation Action Plan at the National Congress of American Indians mid-year conference in Washington, DC. The USDOT plan is posted on the FHWA Tribal website at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tribal/consultation.htm.

The Plan incorporates comments received from Indian tribal governments and was developed by a team made up of representatives of each DOT mode.

Activities that the FHWA has been involved in for several years are reflected in the Plan. It is an extension of many of the efforts FHWA has made over the years in consulting with tribal governments and developing government-to-government relationships. The FHWA will continue with the consultation efforts that have been part of our efforts for the past decade.

USDOT is required to submit a progress report and annual updates on the Plan. In December 2009 the FHWA Division offices provided information and updates on consultation efforts with Indian tribal governments. This provided an excellent base of information on the current state of FHWA/State/tribal consultation and will assist the Secretary’s office in required progress reports. 8

How Swiss Bikers Saved the Blues Cecil Vick

Cecil Vick is a native Mississippian and was a Right of Way and Environmental Specialist for the Mississippi Division Office of FHWA. He retired in 2009 and now manages environmental and planning activities for the Jackson, Mississippi, Office of ABMB Engineers, Inc., a multi-state engineering consulting firm.

Today, one of the important growth industries in Mississippi is blues tourism. When this story took place, the state tourism industry was just beginning to realize how important the is to Mississippi’s history and to the evolution of modern music. and catfish farming. There were no real major environmental issues; and, based on an archeological As the Environmental Manager for FHWA’s Mississippi study, the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) had Division Office, I spent thirty years in the development of agreed with the DOT that no historic sites would be transportation projects, many in the Delta. affected. The preferred alternative would take an abandoned store and perhaps a church. I had not looked The is about fifty miles wide. at the project on the ground. Tennessee Williams said it begins in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis and stretches southward some While attending Context Sensitive Solutions training near two hundred miles to Catfish Row in Vicksburg. It is a Memphis, it occurred to me that if this project was going land of extreme poverty contrasted with small pockets of to take a church I needed see it. On the way home I drove intense wealth. It is known mostly for cotton, catfish, and through the project area looking for the church, and found the Delta Blues. The economic, cultural, and physical the headquarters of an old cotton plantation. I recognized hardships of the Delta gave the blues its soul. Blues that the church and store had been part of the plantation music has contributed significantly to modern rock and headquarters. The barns and storage buildings, an old roll, progressive country, jazz, hip-hop, and more. cotton gin, the church, and the plantation’s commissary or “company store” were still there. There were many I became personally involved with blues history when the similar plantation headquarters around when I was a Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) child, but they are rare today. On one of the barns was scheduled a public meeting for a project to four-lane 13 painted, “DOCKERY FARMS est. 1895.” The church miles of Highway 8 through the Delta from Cleveland to was original, but it was old. The company store looked Ruleville. It looked like a simple widening project. like it replaced the original one in the early twentieth century. I began to suspect that this might be a National MDOT was proposing to add two lanes and a median adjacent to the existing two lanes. This part of the Delta Register eligible historic site or district that the surveys had overlooked. is primarily agricultural and suited for cotton, soybeans,

A closer look at the commissary revealed it to be covered

with graffiti of the names of rock and roll bands like ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Aerosmith. Quite a few

people had signed their names and where they were from. They were from places like London, France, Sweden, and

Japan. There was a state historic marker that read, “The plantation once employed Charlie Patton, a legendary

blues musician, who inspired such greats as Muddy Waters, , B.B. King, and Elvis Presley.” I

knew if Elvis was involved, this had to be important.

Back at the office, I started researching on the Internet. The first site I found was in France, and it described Dockery Farms as the most important blues site in America and probably in the Continued on page 10. 9

Shortly thereafter, a group of 30 bikers from Switzerland arrived at Dockery Farms on Harley-Davidson motorcycles to stage a blues sing-in and to support the preservation of the Dockery site and buildings. Apparently, that anonymous email had travelled pretty far in a short amount of time. The Swiss bikers had traveled to America, rented bikes in New Orleans, and were touring Delta Blues sites. They spent the entire morning protesting and singing the blues—often in German. Biker Phillip Franchiser told the Bolivar Commercial that Dockery is a very important and well known blues site to European blues fans: “Dockery Farms is very prestigious in Switzerland. It’s a big mysterious legendary place. Anyone who knows anything about the blues knows Continued from page 9. about people like Charlie Patton and . I’m world. I found references to Dockery everywhere I really glad to be here.” looked. In the 1920's, Dockery Plantation was home to several hundred workers. Among them, in addition to After a day of protest, the 30 Swiss bikers put on their helmets, fired up their hogs, and headed off in the , were legendary bluesmen , , , and Roebuck "Pop" direction of Chicago. Their visit helped to end any discussion of taking land from Dockery Farms. Later, Staples. They knew each other and worked together to develop the Delta Blues. They played at Dockery and Dockery Farms became the first of many sites showcased on the . Today Mississippi blues travelled on the Pea Vine Railroad, which bisected the plantation, to places like Rosedale, Clarksdale, tourism is big business, and Dockery is included on every commercial blues tour. Cleveland, Memphis, and juke joints all over the Delta. These bluesmen were contemporaries of Robert Johnson, There was really no need for me to send that email about Elmore James, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Howlin' Wolf. Their songs influenced the development of the public meeting, but I am proud that I did. I was careful not to tell anyone that I had sent it, so I was American popular music which spread all over the world. surprised when the Division Administrator brought me a With only a few days before the public meeting and with letter from the Director of the Mississippi Department a preferred alternative proposed through the site where B. Archives and History thanking me for my intervention. It B. King has been quoted as saying, “This is where it all said, “Dockery Plantation is one of the most significant began,” I met with MDOT’s Environmental Director and blues heritage sites in the state. It would have been a the Division Administrator and expressed my concern for tragedy to lose this cultural landmark. . .” I have never the possible oversight of this important historic site. The verified this, but I am told there is a copy of that letter in DOT Environmental Director was resolute in his support the archives of the Dockery Farms collection in the of the preferred alternative because it was cheaper, and Mississippi Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. had been “cleared” by the SHPO. I’m not sure he had much appreciation for the blues either. The Division Biker photograph and biker quotes with permission of Administrator supported my position, but agreed to allow “The Bolivar Commercial,” Cleveland, MS. the presentation of the preferred alternative at the meeting He made it clear that there is a difference between a preferred alternative and a selected one and that the decision had not yet been made.

I believed him, but was nervous. I was lying awake at night thinking about the guilt I would feel if I let anything happen to the birthplace of the blues. What if the Division Administrator and I were hit by a bus? As luck would have it, the editor of a magazine about Delta culture became aware of the public meeting through an anonymous email that said, “Tomorrow evening there will be a public meeting at Dockery Farms about four- laning Highway 8. The plantation buildings could be affected. You might want to attend.” 10

Here are a few of the upcoming events of interest to the environmental community:

July 2010 July 18-21

TRBoard ADC 40 Transportation-Related Noise and Vibration Summer Meeting Denver, Colorado www.adc40.org

August 2010 CONTACT INFORMATION: August 24-26 National Transportation Air Quality Summit Federal Highway Administration

Cambridge, MA Resource Center

September 2010 Editor-in-Chief September 13-17 Lamar Smith, Environment Technical Service Team Manager ProWalk/ProBike 2010 Phone: (720) 963-3210/Fax: (720) 963-3232 Chattanooga, TN E-mail: [email protected] http://www.bikewalk.org/

Editorial Board Members:

Bethaney Bacher-Gresock, Environmental Protection Specialist

Phone: (202) 366-4196/ Fax: (202) 366-7660 E-mail: [email protected]

Brian Smith, Biology/Water Quality Specialist Phone: (708) 283-3553/Fax: (708) 283-3501 E-mail: [email protected]

Stephanie Stoermer, Environmental Program Specialist/Archeologist Phone: (720) 963-3218/Fax: (720) 963-3232 E-mail: [email protected]

Deborah Suciu-Smith, Environmental Program Specialist Phone: (717) 221-3785/Fax: (717) 221-3494 E-mail: [email protected]

Managing Editor Marie Roybal, Marketing Specialist Phone: (720) 963-3241/Fax: (720) 963-3232 E-mail: [email protected]

Production Schedule: For additional conferences and events, see Due to our Quarterly publication schedule, all article submissions for www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/calendar.htm. future issues are due to the Editor-In-Chief by the 10th of March, June, September, and/or December

Getting the news: *If you would like to receive this newsletter electronically, please send your email address to: [email protected] 11